NFL may have created nightmare with new helmet contact rule

Sometimes you have a great, and even a noble, idea, but it has no practical way of working. It certainly appears that that is the case with what the NFL decided Tuesday at the owner’s meetings in Orlando, regarding players using their head to make contact with an opponent.

Most fans and observers in the NFL did not know or realize that this was going to be a topic, and then quickly voted on, however, that’s exactly what happened Tuesday.

So, in the name of player safety and they are trying to get more clearly defined: what is a foul? And here’s what the NFL has now come up with starting in 2018, as a rule:

Playing Rule Article 8: It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent. The player may be disqualified. Applies to any player anywhere on the field. The player may be disqualified.

That means that hits like the one above from Jaguars safety Barry Church on Patriots TE Rob Gronkowskiin the AFC Championship game, would be illegal from the beginning. This is because the player (Church) was leading with his helmet in the first place. Never mind, if the contact was actually high (above the shoulders) or in the head area. That’s what Church was flagged 15 yards for in January and Gronk left the game with a concussion and did not return.

We aren’t talking about that.

The rule now is: you cannot lead with your head. At all.

Not just the crown of your head, but your helmet and your head cannot be used as first contact.

For example, Church would likely be ejected in 2018 for that Gronkowski hit.

We at F.F.I. can totally foresee a nightmare of multiple flags per game for this foul, including on offensive players who are trying to make first contact with a defender and sticking their head out in doing so.

Again, player safety is a very important thing.

And the intent of what the NFL passed Tuesday is good, but the practicality of making it work appears to us to be a nightmare in the making.

Just wait until crucial star players are ejected, because of this rule. Not for a helmet-to-helmet intentional collisions or something totally unsafe, but simply for leading with their head first at contact.

Tampa Bay will be down two defensive lineman, including Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy. McCoy, who injured his calf in the second half of the loss to Atlanta last week, was unable to practice all week. So, it’s not surprising that he’s out. Defensive end Vinny Curry also suffered an ankle injury in the Atlanta game and is likewise out for Sunday. Bucs rookie defensive back Carlton Davis has been hampered by a back injury but was able to practice on Friday and is listed as questionable. Also quarterback Jameis Winston is on the injury report with a hip injury but will play on Sunday against Cleveland.

Likewise, defensive back Bobby McCain, who missed the game with Chicago last Sunday, is also listed as questionable with an injured knee.

The Dolphins went ahead and ruled out last year’s number one pick, defensive end Charles Harris again, for this week with an injured calf. It’s not surprising because here is had not been able to practice all week due to the injury.

Silliness of coaches withholding info for “competitive advantage”

There is no disputing that coaches love to play games. Games with their opponents. Games with the public/media and even, games with themselves and their own staffs.

One of the biggest games that coaches like to play is withholding who might be starting for them at a key position all the way up until the last second. This is especially true with quarterback disputes or controversies. And, it’s in the name of “Competitive Advantage,” that they like to withhold information or updates.

And there has been no shortage of it in our state both at the pro and college level this season.

Likewise, the Jaguars were dealing with Leonard Fournette’s hamstring injury and his status for Sunday’s game with the Jets was once again a competitive advantage mystery.

In the Bucs case, coach Dirk Koetter continued to stonewall the media and the public, all week, even after he admitted that he had told Fitzpatrick and Winston who was going to start against the Bears last Tuesday. In the name of competitive advantage, the coach went all the way through the weekend and up until game time before Fitzpatrick trotted out onto the field to start Sunday’s disastrous 48 – 10 loss.

Winston did start and play the entire second half, when the issue had long been decided. He threw two interceptions and a fourth-quarter touchdown in the loss. More on the Buccaneers QB situation in a second.

For last weekend’s game with the Titans, Fournette was limited in practice and listed as “questionable” and again in the name of competitive advantage, the second-year Jaguars coach would not say definitively whether fournette was going to play or not. This went on all the way up until the inactives were released 90 minutes before the the Tennessee game, when Fournette’s name appeared on that list, and then everyone knew he was not playing.

The same thing held true this past weekend, when Marrone repeatedly refused to definitively say whether Fournette was going to give it a try. That’s despite the fact that he had practiced fully on Friday, and once again, was listed as questionable.

Now, in that case, Marrone is left to explain why they tried it this past week as opposed to waiting one more week. And, now, there’s a real possibility that the rookie of the year last season could miss at least another game or two with the hammy.

But don’t count on getting any straight answers, in the name of competitive advantage.

While this conveniently relieves the Bucs third year coach of having to answer the questions for the next two weeks about who his quarterback will be, that also held true this past week and weekend. And yet, in the name of….. you got it, competitive advantage, he refused to say.

So, it’s worth pointing out: that the competitive advantage gained by not telling the Bears for sure that Fitzpatrick will be the quarterback was bigger than telling the Falcons, 13 days in advance, that Winston will be the quarterback.

Got it.

And the Pro coaches are not alone, Hurricanes coach Mark Richt did the same thing with his quarterback switch for last Thursday night’s win over North Carolina. He repeatedly refused to announce to the media, fans or to the Tar Heels, whom his starter would be for the ACC showdown at Hard Rock stadium.

And look, the preeminent college coach of this Century, Nick Saban did the same thing all offseason and all the way up until Alabama’s opening kickoff with Louisville in game one. That’s when Saban decided to start sophomore Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback over his previous starter from the last two seasons Jalen Hurts.

Again, no one can question Saban’s success, but still, it’s silly that Louisville and other opponents wouldn’t be preparing for both Tagovailoa and Hurts to play against them.

So, as this goes on, media members roll their eyes and continue to try to find out on their own, who’s going to play or not play.

The bottom line is other teams are prepared for anything too, and it’s just as easy for you to go ahead and say who’s going to play, or not, as it is to play competitive advantage games

The Bucs banged up secondary, which put veteran Chris Conte on IR mid week, has three more players injured and also listed as questionable. Rookies Carlton Davis (groin) and Jordan Whitehead (shoulder/hamstring) are being watched carefully and veteran DB Marcus Williams who was picked up off waivers two weeks ago, is also questionable with a hamstring injury.

It should be noted that the Jags and coach Doug Marrone did the same thing last Friday with Fournette’s status, and he didn’t play in the loss to the Titans. So, it will be another tenuous weekend for those own Fournette in their fantasy leagues.

Backup running back T.J. Yeldon is also listed as questionable with his ankle injury, but he was able to start last week against Tennessee and had a combined thirteen runs and receptions in the game.

Also, kicker Josh Lambo, who kicked two field goals in Sunday’s 9-6 loss, had not practiced Thursday with an injured hip. However, he did participate Friday fully and is now not on the injury report for the game at the Jets.

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